Ruga Settlements: I Am Not Involved – Osibanjo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has strongly debunked the claim by Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, that his office was directly supervising the controversial plan to set up Fulani settlements across the country.

While he admitted supervising a livestock programme involving voluntary states of the federation, he drew a sharp difference with the one as espoused by MACBAN.

The General Secretary of MACBAN, Baba Uthman Ngelzarma had while appearing on Channels Television programme Sunrise on Friday claimed that the office of the vice-president was supervising the Fulani Settlement programme which he, Ngelzarma claimed would put to an end the spate of farmers herders clashes in the country.

He had said: “This Ruga settlement model is a component part of the livestock development and transformation plan that is being implemented under the Office of the Vice-President. It is a component part of it.”

Responding to the insinuation in a statement issued by his media aide, Laolu Akande, the vice-president said:

“The Ruga initiative is different from the National Livestock Transformation Plan approved by State governors under the auspices of the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
 
” NEC on January 17, 2019, approved the plan based on the recommendations of a Technical Committee of the Council chaired by Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State. Other State Governors on the committee and Working Group of NEC are those from Adamawa, Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, Oyo & Zamfara – mostly the frontline States in the Farmer-Herder crises.
 
“The National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) 2019-2028 is a programme to be implemented in 7 pilot states of Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara (as decided by NEC in January), being States in the frontlines of the Farmer-Herder crises. Afterwards, six other States have indicated readiness to also implement the plan. They are Katsina, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, and Edo states.”
 “The plan has six pillars through which it aims to transform the livestock production system in Nigeria along market oriented value chain while ensuring an atmosphere of peace and justice.
“The six key pillars include, economic investment, conflict resolution, justice and peace, humanitarian relief and early recovery, human capital development and cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, research and information and strategic communication.
“In all the Federal Government will not impose on any State government regarding its land.”

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